We are all affected today by the changes in the way business is conducted. Where we once had some limitation of where prospects and customers could conveniently do business, today we compete with every business in the world. We used to be able to count on the local neighborhood for our retail business, not so today.

Our customers and prospects have much more information available to them with the click of a mouse. The Internet has provided a cultural shift from a seller controlled environment to the buyer being in charge. We can no longer push our marketing message out to them, but must wait for them to come to us. But how do you do that when the average person received over 5000 sales messages a day?

What we must not ever forget is that regardless of who we compete with, or what business people buy things from; it is still people conducting business with people. The way we engage might be different, but the connection still has to be made. There still is a relationship between the two parties.

People love to be in contact with people, not machines. We still want to hear the friendly voice at the other end of the phone when we call. We might investigate products and gather information from a website. We will research all the information available to help make n informed purchasing decision. But, most people will still go the local store and transact business with a person.

They will come back to that person, if, and only if, there was a trust built during that first transaction. If not, they will continue to seek out a better relationship. Still today, the number one reason most people do not continue to do business with a company is the lack of service and attention to their needs. Not price, not because it is online, or any other reason most companies think it is. It is about service. Yesterday, today and tomorrow; how did you take care of my needs when I came to do business with you?

Are you talking care of your customers? If not, your competitor will.